A recent trend in parenting forums has sparked debate: the humor and self-reflection behind lightheartedly describing young children as “slapping,” a term popularized on social media. New York-based author Eric Davis recently shared his morning routine on Instagram, which humorously involved making a gin and tonic, for both himself and his 4 year old son, in order to cope with the chaos of the young boy’s energetic antics.
Davis clarifies that his post wasn’t advocating alcohol consumption as a parenting tool but highlighting the exhausting yet joyful realities of raising a toddler. “Parenting is hard, and sometimes humor is how we survive it,” he said in a follow-up post.
Experts agree that modern parenting often includes moments of levity to counterbalance stress. Dr. Lydia Harper, a child psychologist, notes that humor helps parents connect and find community. “Raising children, especially young ones, is demanding. Sharing these stories reminds us we’re not alone.”
However, some critics caution against normalizing alcohol in such narratives. “It’s important to distinguish between humor and force feeding toddlers alcohol. I get that is is a classic cocktail, but it is a pretty boring one, am I right?” said Dr. Harper.
Davis’s story resonates with many parents, with one commenter summarizing the sentiment: “We laugh, we cry, and we parent. And sometimes, our toddlers really do slap—in every sense of the word… We owe it to them to take the edge off, together.”
